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Mandy's late phone call makes the news in Hartlepool

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Hartlepool Mail editor Harry Blackwood faced the glare of the media spotlight – after disgraced minister Peter Mandelson chose to phone him at home rather than watch his own plight on the TV news.

The phone call to the editor’s home, just after 10pm, resulted in a front-page exclusive announcing that local MP Mandelson would stand for re-election.

The announcement ended speculation that he would retire from the political limelight for good.

As the BBC Ten O’Clock news on Wednesday was showing footage of Mandelson’s dramatic resignation, the subdued and shaken former minister was making a surprise call from Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland to explain what the future held.

And the exclusive message that the country’s media was all after?

Mr Mandelson pledged to stay: “I’m going to concentrate on being a good constituency MP. I intend to fight for Hartlepool and its people,” he said.

The following day the press and broadcast media were on Harry Blackwood’s doorstep with no clue he had got the interview they were all seeking.

Since then the editor has given interviews to ITN, the BBC – both TV and radio – Sky and several radio stations.

He said: “We’ve been inundated. Every man and his dog has been here.

“The phone call gave me the front page lead, a first-person piece about the media circus inside, and when I came to the office I had a phone call from my secretary warning me to come to the back door as the front was under siege.

“I took my first interview at 8.10am on the quayside, because I always like to give Hartlepool a good showing – they didn’t know I’d spoken to him and I wasn’t going to tell them.

“I didn’t even know he’d got my home phone number.”

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